(Photo above) From left: YBrs. Dr. Haji Mohd Zahari bin Ismail, Director General of the Polytechnic Education and Community Colleges Department, Ministry of Education; YBrs. Prof. Dr. Azlinda binti Azman, Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education; YB Dato’ Hj. Mohammad Yusof Bin Hj. Apdal, Deputy Minister of Higher Education; K Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia; Dr. Jasmin Begum, Director of Legal, Corporate & Government Affairs for ASEAN and New Markets of Microsoft at the launch of the Talent in Tech Accelerator Nationwide Program

The pilot program aims to train and certify 1,000 students from Malaysia’s public universities

KUALA LUMPUR, 08 September 2023 — The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and the Ministry of Human Resources (MoHR), through Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp)  launched the Talent in Tech Accelerator Nationwide Program (the Program) in collaboration with Microsoft. Together, the organizations aim to equip 1,000 final-year students from public universities with in-demand technical skills and certification, whilst supporting in talent matching to help meet the evolving industry needs in today’s digital world.

In line with MoHE’s Pelan Strategik Pendigitalan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (Higher Education Strategic Digitalization Plan (2021 – 2025)), the Program supports its fourth strategic pillar, focused on strengthening digital competency in Malaysia via training and enhancing digital skills among students in higher education, ultimately fostering a digital-centric culture.

Present at the launch was YB Dato’ Hj. Mohammad Yusof Bin Hj. Apdal, Deputy Minister of Higher Education who said, “Digital skills and technical know-how’s will be crucial to maintaining the value and relevance of our talent in the digital world. The launch of this pilot Program demonstrates the government’s commitment to building, nurturing, and investing in our students to meet industry needs.”

Aimed to enhance employment opportunities for Malaysian talent, the Program will bring together certified educators and Microsoft Experts to train students with in-demand digital skills. All participants will also have access to self-paced learning resources via Microsoft Learn as well as employability skills and career readiness programs such as resume writing and building effective LinkedIn profiles.

In his opening remarks, Thomas Mathew, TalentCorp Group Chief Executive Officer said that there is an urgent need to transform talents into future-proof and industry-ready workers to better adapt to future market demand, especially with the increasing new age technologies. “This collaboration is not just about leveraging technology. It is about integrating our strengths to create holistic programs that will impart critical technical skills of tomorrow as well as soft skills that can set apart leaders of the future workforce,” he added.

“Microsoft’s commitment to Malaysia is more than just accelerating our tech’s adoption. We are also investing in the people by helping to bridge the gap between the people’s readiness and the demand from industries in the growing digital economy,” shared K Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia. “Aligned to Microsoft’s Bersama Malaysia initiative to empower the country’s inclusive and sustainable digital economy, this Program will contribute to our 1 million skilling goal.”

Microsoft shared that as of August 2023, it has achieved 85% of its target to upskill 1 million Malaysians by end of 2023 as part of Bersama Malaysia.

Earlier this year, the Program was conducted with Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) in a smaller scale, before it was relaunched as a nationwide program. Puvaan Raaj, an undergraduate student at UTHM who was certified through the initiative, shared his experience, “The Program fostered a conducive environment that encouraged collaboration among peers on the same journey, pushing me to explore new areas and learn new skills. In fact, the new skillsets I gained helped set me apart in the competitive job market, even landing internships offers as a result.”

At the launch, Microsoft also signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the MoHE and TalentCorp, respectively, in line with their commitment to empower students with digital skills to thrive in the digital economy. The Program embeds globally recognized resources from Microsoft including skilling content and certification, while leveraging the extensive partner networks of MoHE and TalentCorp to introduce potential employment opportunities for successful students.

Students who successfully receive their certifications are able to explore job opportunities with industry partners including Air Liquide, Alliance Bank, AmBank Group, Avanade, CIMB Bank, Enfrasys, Experian, Habib Group, Malaysia Aviation Group, Nexperia, OCBC Bank, SCHOTT, Shell, and UOB Bank. Certified talents will also be a part of the MEET Community @ LinkedIn.

The pilot Program will run from 11^th until 22^nd September 2023, targeting final-year students from participating local universities. For more information, visit Talent in Tech Accelerator Nationwide Program.